Author name: sourjya123@gmail.com

AI and Generative AI (GenAI) have emerged as transformative forces across all aspects of modern economies, profoundly impacting productivity, innovation, and are set to enhance citizen daily routines and quality of life. Around the world, governments must ensure that their countries are equipped with the foundations to leverage this fast-developing technology. Their leadership is key to harnessing AI’s many benefits in ways that safeguard the wellbeing of industries, businesses, and individuals while promoting strategic adoption in service of national development goals. In the GCC, where national visions hinge on economic diversification, innovation, and digital transformation, readiness to deploy and scale AI is becoming a critical differentiator. To understand each country’s current readiness, we are launching the first edition of the GCC AI Pulse, based on the BCG 2025 AI Maturity Matrix. In this inaugural study, we assess the development of AI across the six GCC nations using BCG’s flagship ASPIRE framework — measuring AI Ambition, Skills, Policy, Investment, Research, and Ecosystem across 30+ indicators. Leveraging the results allows for a deeper understanding of the readiness of each country to scale AI initiatives in service of its national ambition and global aspiration.

In response to the past couple of challenging years for private infrastructure investing, funds are broadening their traditional mandates, seeking out new sources of investment capital and continuing to up their operational game. Already, the results appear positive, if cautiously so. While investment activity in 2024 was still down significantly compared to the peak year of 2022, infrastructure assets under management reached an all-time high in 2024, and fundraising is up modestly from the previous year. To nurture and build on these signs of recovery, infrastructure funds are devising new strategies to attract capital, including from retail investors. They are also expanding their mandate to provide limited partners (LPs) with more differentiated risk/return-profiles and to offer investments in new. nontraditional next-generation infrastructure. As detailed in this year’s report on the state of private infrastructure investing, funds continue to face an uncertain macroeconomic and interest rate environment. But shifts in strategy, together with the ongoing need for investment in energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and social infrastructure, suggest that the early signs of renewed growth will gain strength.

“Africa is determined not to be left behind when it comes to the rapid advance of AI and the tangible impact it is already having elsewhere,” says Takeshi Oikawa, a BCG managing director and partner based in Nairobi who attended the summit. “While there are already numerous use cases being rolled out by governments, enterprises, and startups across the continent, there are also many barriers to scale, including the shortage in datasets and computing resources, skilled talent, and regulatory frameworks.” AI is expected to contribute almost $16 trillion to the global economy by 2030. But only 10% of this will be felt in the Global South, according to the UNDP. And BCG’s AI Maturity Matrix, which assesses the readiness and exposure of 73 global economies to AI, also shows that many African nations are at the nascent stages of their AI journey.

The creative industries are jewels in the UK’s crown. They make an outsized contribution to economic growth, jobs and Britain’s soft power abroad. But a changing landscape globally means that this significant source of UK competitiveness is increasingly at risk, and a renewed strategic focus is needed. In this paper we propose four practical steps to cement the UK’s leading role in the global creative economy into the future. To fully understand the strength of the sector as a whole, we have built a new definition – removing IT and software and including culture and sport – which we term the UK’s creative and entertainment sector. In 2023, this sector had Gross Value Added (GVA) of £94 billion and saw 31% growth vs. 22% growth for the UK as a whole, in real terms, between 2010 and 2022 (Exhibit 1). This means it was the third-fastest growing sector of the UK economy (after admin and support services and professional and technical services) in this period.

The Impact of Gen Z: Digital Natives Shaping Trends India’s Gen Z is emerging as a powerful force that is reshaping consumer habits with a unique blend of digital fluency and authentic engagement. Their engagement is not confined to digital channels—they influence household decisions and drive trends through both online and offline interactions. It is the largest generation in India—surpassing the entire US population in size—and brings a fresh perspective to consumption. This cohort is wired differently; they prefer immersive visuals and authentic communication over traditional advertising methods.

“The consultancy firm will initially focus on offering ESG and accounting advisory services in the US and India markets. Khatri resigned from KPMG in June.”